What if Linux won the OS battle, put MS out of business and MAC ran and hid under the bed? (shhhh, stop laughing)
Right now, as Linux has next to no market penetration at all, it isn’t a target or virus writers and PC hackers/trackers. Therefore the big Linux boast is how secure and solid it is, like a rock.
However, being thrust into the market forefront, do people actually believe that Linux would remain stable and secure with open source code?
First of all, they’d HAVE to start boxing and selling retail versions as you wouldn’t be able to trust downloads anymore; it would be far too easy to corrupt an install from a downloaded file, redirected website or sppofed link.
Secondly, the price would soar, packaging, delivery and marketing costs. That means they have to offer a value added service to such retail clients such as user support, warranty and exchange etc. Once again pushing up costs of boxed, safe product.
Of course to stop any black market resellers that would sell hacked copies, now they have to licence it, and again the cost goes up.
So now you have Linux sold just as Windows is, no cost benefit there anymore.
You have a system that is the market forefront and the target of hackers worldwide, security is reduced, thus requiring patches written by Joe’s 16 year old son, David. (it is open source afterall, isn’t that a key benefit?).
David’s new patch opens up another area of exploit, reduces system stability and causes crashes (just to be fair we’ll call that the Linux Screen Of Death (LSOD)).
People will then expect to be able to play games on it too, so yet ANOTHER third party extension is added for free download. That free download is not trustworthy unless from a secure server. So the company providing that download has to start charging for the LX12 gaming interface for Linux. LX12 costs $99.00.
I’ve already paid for a “safe” version, now I have to pay for a “safe” gaming interface too? Man, this Linux license stuff is a rip off!!!
By now, Windows has all but disappeared, owns less than 15% of the marketshare. People stop writing viruses for it and the few remaining developers just offer the code online to fellow Windows fans to work on and stabilize. Windows now becomes less bloated as there’s simply no need for all the patches, add-ons, security updates, licencing etc., they decide to offer it for free.
TR is then filled with posts stating, “10 reasons why Windows is better than Linux”, with such reasons as 1) It’s free you don’t have to pay for licences. 2) It is more stable 3) it has a smaller footprint 4)it is more intuitive and easier to use ….
So what would happen if Linux won the war?
Free, stable and untargeted OS for the world to use? Sure.
Linux fans are far better off just keeping their heads down, enjoying their private club and forgetting about LWD – Linux World Domination (Muwahahahahahaha ]:) ), it aint going to happen and if it did, you wouldn’t like it anyway.
